abstract:How do firms protect themselves against infringements of their property rights by their own government? The authors develop a theory based on international law and joint asset ownership with foreign firms. Investment agreements protect the assets of foreign firms but are not available to domestic firms. This segmentation of the property rights environment creates a rationale for international financial relationships between firms. By forming financial relationships with foreign firms, domestic firms gain indirect coverage from the property rights available to foreign firms under investment agreements. If a government is less likely to violate the property rights of covered foreign firms, it is also less likely to violate property rights for assets held jointly by domestic and foreign firms. This article presents systematic evidence from data on the activities of firms in countries that have investment agreements with the United States. International financial relationships between firms, through mergers and acquisitions as well as through bond and equity issues, are more common where property rights are weak. The theory suggests a political logic to the fragmentation of firm-ownership stakes across jurisdictions, offers an institutional explanation of international financial flows, and identifies new distributional consequences of international law.


The structure and magnetic properties of (Nd1−xErx)3Fe25Cr4.0 compounds with x = 0–0.8 have been investigated using x-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and magnetic measurements. It has been found that all the compounds crystallize in a Nd3(Fe,Ti)29-type structure. Substitution of Er for Nd leads to a contraction of the unit-cell volume. The Curie temperature, Tc, and the saturation magnetization, Ms, of (Nd1−xErx)3Fe25Cr4.0 decrease monotonically with increasing Er content. The easy magnetization direction (EMD) of Nd3Fe25Cr4.0 at room temperature is close to the [040] direction but may be a little out of the basal plane. With increasing Er content, the EMD changes closer to the [40−2] direction and the tilt angle increases. Both the XRD patterns and ac susceptibility indicate the appearance of a spin reorientation for x = 0–0.4 as the temperature decreases from room temperature to 77 K. The spin reorientation temperature, Tsr, increases monotonically with increasing Er content from 158 K for x = 0 to 198 K for x = 0.4. A first order magnetization process (FOMP) occurs for all the compounds, and the critical field of the FOMP decreases with increasing Er content from 6.6 T for x = 0 to 2.0 T for x = 0.7.


In July 2016, Salford Archaeology was commissioned by Unique Boutique Hotels
(Manchester) Ltd to undertake an historic building investigation of the former Cathedral
School on Todd Street, Manchester (centred on SJ 8406 9886). Following the demolition of
the building in November 2016, Bowmer & Kirkland Ltd commissioned Salford Archaeology
to carry out an archaeological evaluation on the land. Both elements of the project were
required as part of a redevelopment scheme.
The historic building investigation was commensurate with a Level I-type survey, and the
evaluation comprised the excavation of a single trench, which aimed to establish the presence
or absence of buried archaeological remains within the proposed development area.
An archaeological desk-based assessment compiled in 2010 demonstrated that the study area
had the potential for the survival of remains relating to 18th- and 19th-century buildings,
including housing, public houses and a series of schools. The site's proximity to the original
medieval core of Manchester also raised the possibility for earlier medieval remains being
present in uncellared areas of the site, particularly within a former central courtyard.
The historic building investigation concluded that the remnants of the former Cathedral
School had been subject to considerable remodelling and alterations during the later 19th and
20th centuries, particularly in the basement and ground floor, with a resultant loss of historic
fabric. The investigation has enabled an appropriate record of the building to be completed
prior to its demolition.
The evaluation trench excavated across the study area revealed that basements had removed
all remains at the south-east and north-west ends of the trench. Natural gravels were observed
between these basements, but did not contain any features of archaeological significance. The
natural gravels were tested by excavating a sondage to 4.2m, and were shown to be consistent
throughout, becoming much more indurated at depth.
The results obtained from the evaluation trenches have indicated that no remains of
archaeological significance survive within the study area, and that no further archaeological
work in advance of development is merited.


Antibiotics are frequently used in hospice care, despite limited data on safety and effectiveness in this patient population. We surveyed Oregon hospice programs on antibiotic policies and prescribing practices. Among 39 responding hospice programs, the median reported proportion of current census using antibiotics was 10% (interquartile range = 3.5%-20.0%). Approximately 31% of responding hospice programs had policies for antibiotic initiation, 17% of hospice programs had policies for antibiotic discontinuation, and 95% of hospice programs had policies for managing drug interactions. Diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, and yeast infections were the most frequently reported antibiotic-associated adverse events, occurring "sometimes" or "often" among 62%, 47%, and 62% of respondents, respectively. In conclusion, less than a third of participating hospice programs reported having a policy for antibiotic initiation and even less frequently a policy for discontinuation. More data are needed on the risks and benefits of antibiotic use in hospice care to inform these policies and optimize outcomes in this vulnerable patient population.


Background and introduction: Advancing age is associated with reduced muscle protein synthesis, altered expression of and chemical modifications to muscle proteins, reduced muscle strength, and muscle power. These age-related impairments in the quantity and quality of contractile proteins contribute to physical disability and frailty, loss of independent function, the risk of falling and fractures and escalating health care costs. The aim of the study was to find out whether the combined effect of essential amino acid supplementation and resistance training in lower limbs musculoskeletal system of elderly people can strengthen the muscles activity and to improve their quality of lifestyle. Methods: Sixty male elderly subjects at the age between sixty-five to eighty years were screened for the study randomly from Geriatrics clinics. The study design was clinical trial Experimental Research design. Elderly people having no history of recent trauma to lower extremity were selected from the population. Individuals having hypertension, diabetes mellitus, neuromuscular disease, uncooperative and psychologically ill patients were excluded from the study. The subjects were divided into two groups: Group I received essential amino acids in the form of capsules for thirty days twice per day. Group II had the same but they were also trained for lower limb strengthening exercises. These exercises included mainly the strengthening of extensor group of muscles- glutei, quadriceps and planter flexors by bridging, quadriceps isometrics and toe standing respectively. The range of motion of hip, knee and ankle joints and hip extensors, knee extensors and ankle planter flexors muscles strength were measured by manual muscle testing. This measurement was done for dominant lower extremity before and after giving the supplementation to observe its effect on musculoskeletal system of the elderly. Diet and activity were not otherwise modified. Before starting, subjects were counselled to maintain their usual dietary intake and physical activity. Results: No significant increase was observed in range of motion of hip, knee and ankle joints after amino acid supplementation along with resistance exercise (p.0.05). But resistance training raised the muscle power significantly in group II who received amino acid supplementation too. We found that muscle power in Hip extensors, knee extensors and planter flexors were increased significantly at p<0.001, p<0.01 and p<0.05 respectively. Discussion and conclusion: Resistance training raised the muscle power of lower limbs significantly when essential amino acids were administered along with them. Non-exercise group who received only amino acid supplementation did not show significant rise in muscle power. But no significant differences were found in hip, knee and ankle range of motions in both the groups. We concluded that the resistance strengthening exercises for lower extremities should be recommended for weak muscles in elderly population along with essential amino acids supplementation to maintain their active lifestyle by reducing the chances of falls or injuries.


The concept of a phase-conjugate etalon mirror consisting of one flat and one aspheric surface is introduced. This new element can be used as an end mirror of a conventional resonator to promote spatial-mode selection and mode shaping. A phase-conjugate etalon designed for the fundamental Gaussian mode is experimentally implemented and tested with a single-mode He-Ne laser.


The mesoporous silicas doubly imprinted with both surfactant micelles and metal ions acting as templates were prepared to develop highly selective adsorbents by cocondensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and copper-3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyltri methoxysilane (Cu(appts)22+) in the presence of structure-directing cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant micelles. Removal of the metal ion and the surfactant results in the formation of different-sized imprints within adsorbents: the pores that give the gel enhanced selectivity for the target metal ion and the cylindrical pores that give the gel an overall porosity which includes large surface areas and excellent metal ion transport kinetics. The measurement of adsorption equilibri-um and kinetics of copper ion on these adsorbents provided the high adsorption capacity and selectivity, coupled with fast kinetics, for copper ions used as templates.


Ihanainen-Rokio, Outi Value of the Balanced Scorecard for Organizational Communication in Knowledge-Intensive Firms Jyvaskyla: University of Jyvaskyla, 2014, 254 p. Jyvaskyla Studies in Humanities, ISSN 1459-4323 (nid.), 1459-4331 (PDF); 223 ISBN 978-951-39-5569-4 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-5570-0 (PDF) This doctoral thesis studies the communication of strategy in knowledgeintensive firms. The research approaches organizational communication in knowledge-intensive work from the perspective of the knowledge worker. The thesis focuses on the management system called the Balanced Scorecard and asks whether or not this management system is an effective model of communicating the strategy in knowledge-intensive firms. As a widely used, modern management system, the Balanced Scorecard has appealed to both practitioners and scholars of strategic management. However, organizational communication research on the Balanced Scorecard remains scant. This qualitative research is based on semi-structured interviews of knowledge workers in each firm. Research setting consists of four case companies operating in the Finnish ICT sector. Two of the firms are using the Balanced Scorecard as their management system. Using thematic analysis, the data is compared against four value propositions for organizational communication derived from the Balanced Scorecard discourse. A cross-case analysis is done to answer the more generic research question on what the effective communication of strategy actually is in knowledge-intensive firms. The results show that the Balanced Scorecard emphasizes the organizational communication of the company's vision and mission. However, there are no indications that the Balanced Scorecard supports organizational communication related to learning at work. Thus the communicational value of the Balanced Scorecard for knowledge work remains thin. This study reveals the close and deep connection between the knowledge worker and his or her customer. For the strategic management of the firm, this relationship was not fully operationalized in these studied case companies. Furthermore, a key finding is that in knowledge work, organizational communication that strengthens the strategic management of the firm requires the actions of building trust, enabling learning, and utilizing both soft and hard worker control mechanisms. For organizational communication scholars, this thesis reveals the paradoxical nature of knowledge work and thus points out the need for further study of the management paradigms behind the prevailing communication practices.


Mature embryos of oat (Avena sativa L.) have been used to establish regenerable tissue cultures with potential use for transformation. The objective of this study was to investigate tissue cultures established from mature embryos of oat as an alternative source of totipotent target cells for microprojectile bombardment-mediated transformation. Mature embryos of a specific genotype, GAF/Park-1, were incubated on a tissue culture induction medium for 1, 4, 8, or 9 wk before either being directly bombarded after 1 and 4 wk, or bombarded as tissue cultures initiated after 8 and 9 wk incubation. The 8- and 9-wk-old tissue cultures yielded the greatest numbers of transgenic tissue cultures (3.2 transgenic tissue cultures per microprojectile bombardment treatment). Three additional transformation experiments were conducted with mature embryo-derived 8- to 9-wk-old tissue cultures to determine the regeneration capacity and production of fertile transgenic plants. Overall, fertile plants were regenerated from 35 of 85 independently derived transgenic tissue cultures. Identification of mature embryo-derived tissue cultures as a source of transformable totipotent cells should reduce the expense and labor involved in oat transformation. Moreover, the uniformity and convenience of this explant likely will stimulate further investigations in oat transformation efficiency.


Biogas is a renewable form of energy that can be produced by a various type of organic materials. In order to reduce the proportion of fossil fuel emissions bioenergy is seen as a future energy source that can be used for different purposes. This report studies biogas from gasification and the purpose has been to investigate the potential for increased biogas production from agriculture and forestry by doing a sociotechnical system study. The study is focusing on a restricted area outside of Uppsala, Sweden, and has been carried out in two parts. The first part consists of calculation of the biomass potential in the area. The second part investigates the social factors of the bioenergy system and interviews are used to study relevant actors in the area. Social barriers are crucial to the realization of technical potentials, and are therefore important to identify. The result shows that there are some areas that need further development to fulfil the bioenergy potential in the area. All farmers and foresters say that the market is the most important factor for the bioenergy future. The result shows that the reliance for politicians and energy companies need to be increased in all parts of the system. There is also a need for long-term political guidelines at a global and local level. The information and knowledge exchanges about bioenergy need to increase between all actors involved in the system. This implies for example farmers, foresters, researchers, politicians and energy companies. Among these, new networks and collaboration need to be developed. There is also a need to develop more commercially viable technologies throughout the system to promote the development of a future bioenergy system. The result however, shows a large interest in bioenergy from farmers and foresters and a willingness to invest in future bioenergy projects which creates an advantageous starting point for the bioenergy system development.


The latest IPCC report1 sets the objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, 2070 at the latest. The sustainable intensification of agricultural production, in a land sparing logic, is most often considered as a necessary step to achieve this. In contrast, this Issue Brief questions the potential contribution of a more extensive agroecological food system (i.e. land sharing logic). It rests on a comparison of the TYFA (Ten Years For Agroecology in Europe) scenario with the agricultural component of recently published scenarios achieving carbon neutrality by 2050,2 using a multi-criteria dashboard. The objective of climate mitigation is put in the broader perspective of transitioning towards a sustainable food system, taking into account the challenges of human health, conservation of natural resources and biodiversity, and adaptation to climate change.


A recent study predicts that by 2020, up to 50 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices will be connected to the Internet, straining the capacity of the wireless infrastructure, which has already been overloaded with data-hungry mobile applications. How to accommodate the demand for both massive-scale IoT devices and high-speed cellular services in the physically limited spectrum without significantly increasing the operational and infrastructure costs is one of the main challenges for operators. In this article, we introduce a new multi-operator network sharing framework that supports the coexistence of IoT and high-speed cellular services. Our framework is based on the radio access network sharing architecture recently introduced by 3GPP as a promising solution for operators to improve their resource utilization and reduce system roll-out cost. We evaluate the performance of our proposed framework using real base station location data in the city of Dublin collected from two major operators in Ireland. Numerical results show that our proposed framework can almost double the total number of supported IoT devices that can be supported and simultaneously coexist with other cellular services.


Background: In this study our purpose was to determine whether 8 and/or 12 hour urine total protein values correlate with the 24 hour value to confirm the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia. Methods: The study population included 70 inpatients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Patient's urine was collected over 24 hours with the first 8 hours, next 4 hours, and remaining 12 hours in separate containers. The urine volume and total protein and creatinine levels were measured in the 8, 12, and 24 hour samples. The 8 and 12-hour results were compared to the 24-hour results by use of simple regression analysis. Of the 70 patients 31 patients had no proteinuria, 32 patients had mild proteinuria and 7 patients had severe proteinuria. Results: The results of our study reveal that the protein values for the first 8 and 12 hours of a 24 hour sample do correlate with the entire 24 hour sample for patients with mild and severe disease ( p<0.001). Conclusion: The 12-hour sample correlates with the 24-hour sample for patients with no disease (p<0.001), mild proteinuria (p<0.001) and severe proteinuria (p<0.001). MJIRI, Vol. 20, No.1, 23-27, 2006.


The availability of tests to detect genetic conditions prenatally has expanded considerably in recent decades. These advances allow women and couples choices; the choice of whether or not to undergo prenatal screening or diagnosis and therefore the choice whether to continue or terminate a pregnancy. Following prenatal testing many people choose to terminate an affected pregnancy, however little is known about the experiences of parents who choose to continue such a pregnancy. This exploratory qualitative study involved in‐depth interviews with five mothers and four fathers who experienced a pregnancy where a genetic diagnosis was, or could have been, detected prenatally. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. While the participants' experiences of genetic diagnoses and prenatal choices varied, findings revealed three major categories triggering new life trajectories for all of these parents: knowledge of reproductive risk and receiving a genetic diagnosis; adapting to diagnosis and new life path; and attitudes to prenatal diagnosis and disability. Parents reported that while dealing with their own attitudes and getting on with their "new world," positive and negative attitudes of others impacted on these parents' experiences. A conceptual model arising from the major themes is offered as a way of thinking about this paradigm. Parents who continue a pregnancy where a genetic condition is detected or suspected prenatally, can be supported appropriately by health professionals while adjusting to their new life path. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


In this paper the effect of prestressing force on the first flexural natural frequency of beams is studied. Finite element technique is used to model the beam-tendon system, and the prestressing force is applied in the form of initial tension in the tendon. It is shown that the effect of prestressing force on the first natural frequency depends on bonded and unbonded nature of the tendon, and also on the eccentricity of tendon. For the beams with bonded tendon, the prestressing force does not have any appreciable effect on the first flexural natural frequency. However, for the beams with unbonded tendon, the first natural frequency significantly changes with the prestressing force and eccentricity of the tendon. If the eccentricity of tendon is small, then the first natural frequency decreases with the prestressing force and if the eccentricity is large, then the first flexural natural frequency increases with the prestressing force. Results of the present study clearly indicate that the first natural frequency can not be used as an easy indicator for detecting the loss of prestressing force, as has been attempted in some of the past studies.


The worst difficulties from which we suffer. . . come from within. They do not come from the cottages of the wage eamers, they come from a peculiar type of brainy people always found in our country, who, if they add something to its culture, take much from its strength. Our difficulties come from the mood of unwarrantable self-abasement into which we have been cast by a powerful section of our own intellectuals.2


Done well, separation of concerns can provide many software engineering benefits, including reduced complexity, improved reusability, and simpler evolution. The choice of boundaries for separate concerns depends on both requirements on the system and on the kind(s) of decomposition and composition a given formalism supports. The predominant methodologies and formalisms available, however, support only orthogonal separations of concerns, along single dimensions of composition and decomposition. These characteristics lead to a number of well-known and difficult problems. The paper describes a new paradigm for modeling and implementing software artifacts, one that permits separation of overlapping concerns along multiple dimensions of composition and decomposition. This approach addresses numerous problems throughout the software lifecycle in achieving well-engineered, evolvable, flexible software artifacts and traceability across artifacts.


A key role of universities is to prepare students to work in their chosen profession upon completion of their degree program.Engineering capstone design courses are often the only required courses that challenge students to draw on nearly all of thestudents' previous collegiate learning experiences and to synthesize and apply these to creating a new solution to an engineeringproblem. Aside from internship and co-op experiences, these are often the first courses that expose engineering students to some ofthe technical and political issues that they will often face in their professional engineering careers. Industry often looks at thesedesign experiences in addition to work experience when evaluating new graduates. While beneficial, there remains a perceiveddisconnect between what academia is producing and what industry is seeking. Industry is seeking 'engineers' who are well versed inthe application of science to problem solving whereas academia is producing 'engineer scientists' who are well versed in the science,but lacking in the application of knowledge gained through experience. While some context-based learning opportunities areemerging much earlier in the engineering curriculum, the needs and means to provide such experiences remain limited. This paperdiscusses a pilot study that was conducted during the first term of a two term capstone design class in aerospace engineeringaircraft design at Virginia Tech. The study explored the educational impact of utilizing realism and simulation to introduce theaircraft design process with the aim of determining if such an approach could help remedy the academia/industry disconnect and at the same time make for an engaging design experience for the students. Results indicate that the use of simulation was welcomedby the participants of the study and can help prepare students to think as working design professionals, not limited by the genericdesign solutions often found in academic de-contextualized design problems.


OBJECTIVE
Neither the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised (DSM-III-R), nor the DSM-IV uses measures of substance consumption as part of the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders. Therefore, this report examined the extent to which frequency and/or quantity of consumption across a broad spectrum of substances are associated with DSM-IV diagnoses of specific substance use disorders and whether there are informative hierarchical levels of consumption among users, abusers, and those who are substance dependent in the U.S. general population.

METHOD
The analyses focused on consumption data from respondents of the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Disorders. Multinomial logistic regression was used to predict DSM-IV diagnoses of dependence or abuse based on the continuous consumption measures.

RESULTS
Among individuals who used substances, the substances with the greatest liability for dependence were nicotine first and cocaine second. For nearly all substances investigated, users without specific substance use disorders demonstrated lower levels of quantity and frequency of consumption relative to those with DSM-IV abuse and dependence disorders. Dose-response curves for the log odds of abuse and dependence suggested unidimensionality of abuse and dependence for frequency of alcohol drinking; frequency of cannabis use; frequency of opioid use; frequency of hallucinogen use; and, to a lesser extent, frequency of amphetamine use. However, the dose-response curves for the quantity of alcohol consumed demonstrated differential patterns for abuse and dependence such that alcohol dependence has a distinctly greater "quantity of use" relationship than that found among alcohol-abusing individuals.

CONCLUSIONS
These results confirm the findings of others concerning the unidimensionality of abuse and dependence diagnoses when consumption variables alone are examined and suggest that consumption measures may be useful metrics gauging severity.


Many factors have been associated to the development of peritumoral edema in meningiomas. We studied the radiological and pathological features of 51 intracranial meningiomas surgically treated in the University Hospital of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Two thirds of the meningiomas in our series had peritumoral edema. The size of the meningioma was probably related to the development of edema. Peritumoral edema was found frequently in the large meningiomas. The location of the meningioma was also associated with the frequency of peritumoral edema. Sphenoid wing meningiomas had significantly more peritumoral edema. In contrast, tuberculum sellae meningiomas were almost never associated with cerebral edema. There is growing evidence in the literature that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key factor in the pathogenesis of peritumoral edema. We studied by immunohistochemical techniques the expression of VEGF and its receptor flk-1 in meningiomas.


An active absorbent for flue gas desulfurization was prepared from coal bottom ash, calcium oxide (CaO) and calcium sulfate by hydro-thermal process. The absorbent was examined for its micro-structural properties. The experiments conducted were based on Design Of Experiments (DOE) according to 23 factorial design. The effect of various absorbent preparation variables such as ratio of CaO to bottom ash (A), hydration temperature (B) and hydration period (C) towards the BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) specific surface area of the absorbent were studied. At a CaO to bottom ash ratio = 2, hydration temperature = 200 ?C and hydration period = 10 hrs, absorbent with a surface area of 90.1 m2/g was obtained. Based on the analysis of the factorial design, it was concluded that factor A and C as well as the interaction of factors ABC and BC are the significant factors that effect the BET surface area of the absorbent. A linear mathematical model that describes the relation between the independent variables and interaction between variables towards the BET specific surface area of the absorbent was also developed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the model was significant at 1% level. Key Words : Absorbent, Bottom Ash, Design Of Experiments, Desulfurization, Surface Area.


In adrenal fasciculata cells stimulated by ACTH, Ca2+ and cAMP play indispensable roles as second messengers in cortisol production. However, whether their second messengers cooperatively or independently participate in steroid production remains unclear. We focused on the roles of Ca2+ and cAMP in cortisol production in bovine adrenal fasciculata cells stimulated by ACTH for a relatively short period (1 h). Incubation of the cells with 100 pM ACTH in Ca2+-containing (normal) medium for 1 h increased cortisol production without affecting cAMP content. In contrast, treatment of the cells with the peptide at a higher concentration (1 nM) significantly augmented both cortisol production and cAMP content. However, ACTH did not increase either of them in the Ca2+-free medium. ACTH rapidly increased the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in the normal medium, but did not influence [Ca2+]i in the Ca2+-free medium, indicating that ACTH caused Ca2+ influx into the cells. ACTH-induced Ca2+ influx and cortisol production were suppressed by a voltage-sensitive L-type Ca2+ channel blocker but not by a T-type, N-type, or P-type Ca2+ channel blocker. In contrast, dibutyryl cAMP, a cell-permeable cAMP analog, greatly enhanced cortisol production in the normal or Ca2+-free medium and slowly caused Ca2+ influx into the cells. These results strongly suggest that Ca2+, as a second messenger, is more critical than cAMP for cortisol production. However, both second messengers jointly participate in the production in adrenal fasciculata cells stimulated by ACTH.


The authors studied the effects of different doses of estradiol (E2) on the level of estrogen receptors (ER) in female rat hepatocytes and the dynamics of ER distribution between the cytosol and nuclear cell fractions and compared the changes in the ER level in the liver in different endocrine states of the body. It was shown that the ER level in hepatocytes was far lower than in uterine cells and drastically increased during puberation and after ovariectomy. It was also found that the ER level in hepatocytes was dependent on pituitary functions. After a single injection of E2, the ER level in cytosol descended and that in the nucleus rose. The degree of ER reduction in cytosol and increase in the nucleus correlated with the dose of E2. The dynamics of intercombined changes in the levels of cytosol and nuclear ER was studied at different time intervals following the injection of different doses of the hormone. Some essential organ-specific features of E2 reception in the liver were revealed. Different mechanisms of the control of ER content in the liver and uterus are postulated.


BACKGROUND
Stable renal transplant recipients have an excess prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia, which is a risk factor for arteriosclerosis.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of treatment with 1) vitamin B6 or 2) folic acid plus vitamin B12 on fasting and post-methionine-loading plasma total homocysteine levels in renal transplant recipients.

DESIGN
Block-randomized, placebo-controlled, 2 x 2 factorial study.

SETTING
University-affiliated transplantation program.

PATIENTS
29 clinically stable renal transplant recipients.

INTERVENTION
Patients were randomly assigned to one of four regimens: placebo (n = 8); vitamin B6, 50 mg/d (n = 7); folic acid, 5 mg/d, and vitamin B12, 0.4 mg/d (n = 7); or vitamin B6, 50 mg/d, folic acid, 5 mg/d, and vitamin B12, 0.4 mg/d (n = 7).

MEASUREMENTS
Fasting and 2-hour post-methionine-loading plasma total homocysteine levels.

RESULTS
Vitamin B6 treatment resulted in a 22.1% reduction in geometric-mean post-methionine-loading increases in plasma total homocysteine levels (P = 0.042), and folic acid plus vitamin B12 treatment caused a 26.2% reduction in geometric-mean fasting plasma total homocysteine levels (P = 0.027). These results occurred after adjustment for age; sex; and pretreatment levels of total homocysteine, B vitamins, and creatinine.

CONCLUSIONS
Vitamin B6 should be added to the combination of folic acid and vitamin B12 for effective reduction of both post-methionine-loading and fasting plasma total homocysteine levels in renal transplant recipients.


Most iterative optimization algorithms for motion, depth estimation or scene reconstruction, both sparse and dense, rely on a coarse and reliable dense initialization to bootstrap their optimization procedure. This makes techniques important that allow to obtain a dense but still approximative representation of a desired 2D structure (e.g., depth maps, optical flow, disparity maps) from a very sparse measurement of this structure. The method presented here exploits the complete information given by the principal component analysis (PCA), the principal basis and its prior distribution. The method is able to determine a dense reconstruction even if only a very sparse measurement is available. When facing such situations, typically the number of principal components is further reduced which results in a loss of expressiveness of the basis. We overcome this problem and inject prior knowledge in a maximum a posteriori (MAP) approach. We test our approach on the KITTI and the Virtual KITTI dataset and focus on the interpolation of depth maps for driving scenes. The evaluation of the results shows good agreement to the ground truth and is clearly superior to the results of an interpolation by the nearest neighbor method which disregards statistical information.


For a long time William Penny Brookes' influence on the re-establishment of the Olympic Games has been neglected thanks to a focus on Pierre de Coubertin's creative force. Meanwhile Brookes' general work for the Olympic movement has been officially acknowledged by the IOC. However, the British origins have not been proved yet for the modern pentathlon, which is – just like the Olympics – widely presented to be Coubertin's child. The two sport officials had been in touch since the 1890s and while the Olympic Games did not include the modern pentathlon before 1912, a pentathlon was organised as early as 1868 on the occasion of the Wenlock Games. This combined event did not have the same shape as the later modern pentathlon, but the ideological similarities are as obvious as Brookes' general impact on Coubertin. By analysing historical documents located in the IOC Archives in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Archives of the Wenlock Olympian Society in Much Wenlock, UK, and the National Archives of Sweden in Stockholm, this study aims to trace to what extent Brookes and the Much Wenlock Games impacted upon the birth of the modern pentathlon. Thus, the study reinterprets the genesis of a 100-year-old Olympic sport that has, until today, been exclusively dedicated to Coubertin.


The EU European Trading Scheme (EU ETS) started operating in 2005 and was established with the EU Climate Package of 2008 as a permanent mechanism for Europe. Now in its second phase, policymakers are evaluating its success to date and considering next steps for its evolution. With the ultimate goal of a low-carbon economy, key questions have been: does the ETS facilitate a shift from carbon-intensive investments to low-carbon investments? What improvements can policymakers apply to accelerate low-carbon investment? To answer these questions, Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and Climate Strategies conducted a multiinstitute analytical project, "Carbon Pricing for Low-Carbon Investment" from February to December 2010. Led by CPI Berlin director Karsten Neuhoff, participating organizations included London School of Economics, DIW Berlin, ETH-Zurich, ISI-Fraunhofer, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and University of Erlangen-Nurnberg. Studies in the project include the following: Climate Change, Investment and Carbon Markets and Prices – Evidence from Interviewing Managers Ralf Martin (LSE), Mirabelle Muuls (Imperial College) and Ulrich Wagner (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid) Relative Importance of Different Climate Policy Elements for Corporate Climate Innovation Activities: Findings for the Power Sector Karoline Rogge (ISI Fraunhofer), Tobias Schmidt (ETH Zurich) and Malte Schneider (ETH Zurich) The Role of CDM Post-2012 Alexander Vasa (CPI) and Karsten Neuhoff (CPI) Emissions Trading Schemes under IFRS - Towards a true and fair view Madlen Haupt (CPI) and Roland Ismer (University of Erlangen-Nurnberg) This policy summary describes key findings and implications from the studies included in the project and the workshops hosted in Berlin and Paris. Papers from the studies can be found at www.climatepolicyinitiative.org and www.climatestrategies.org.


An edge detection and surface reconstruction algorithm in which the smoothness is controlled spatially over the image space is presented. The values of parameters in the model are adaptively determined by an iterative refinement process; hence, the image-dependent parameters such as the optimum value of the regularization parameter or the filter size are eliminated. The algorithm starts with an oversmoothed regularized solution and iteratively refines the surface around discontinuities by using the structure exhibited in the error signal. The spatial control of smoothness is shown to resolve the conflict between detection and localization criteria of edge detection by smoothing the noise in continuous regions while preserving discontinuities. The performance of the algorithm is quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated on real and synthetic images, and it is compared with those of Marr-Hildreth and Canny edge detectors. >


With the possible spacial association to the Fermi/LAT source 3FGL J1330.0–3818, TOL 1326–379 may be the first one that is identified as a γ-ray emitting Fanaroff–Riley type 0 radio galaxy (FR0 RG). We analyze the ∼12 yr Fermi/LAT observation data of this γ-ray source and examine its association to TOL 1326–379. We show that the γ-ray source (named as J1331.0–3818) is tentatively detected with a TS value of 28.7, 3FGL J1330.0–3818 is out of the 95% containment of J1331.0–3818, and their positions are spatially separated ∼0.°2. 4FGL J1331.3–3818 falls into the 68% containment of J1331.0–3818, suggesting that our result agrees with that reported in the Fourth Fermi LAT Source Catalog. TOL 1326–379 is out of the 95% containment of J1331.0–3818, and their positions are spatially separated ∼0.°4, indicating that the association between J1331.0–3818 and TOL 1326–379 is quite ambiguous. However, we do not find other possible potential radio or X-ray counterpart within the circle centered at J1331.0–3818 with a radius of 0.°4. The spectral energy distribution (SED) of TOL 1326–379 shows a bimodal feature as seen in the γ-ray emitting RGs. We fit the SED with the one-zone leptonic model and find that the average energy spectrum of J1331.0–3818 agrees with the model prediction. Assuming that J1331.0–3818 is an unidentified γ-ray source, we derive the upper-limit of the γ-ray flux for TOL 1326–379. It is not tight enough to exclude this possibility with the SED modeling. Based on these results, we cautiously argue that the γ-ray source J1331.0–3818 is associated with TOL 1326–379 and its jet radiation physic is similar to those γ-ray emitting RGs.


To the Editor.— Goldman et al, 1 in the October 1981Archives, reported a case of linear leukoderma without atrophy after intra-articular injection of a concentrated corticosteroid suspension. We report an additional case with subsequent spontaneous repigmentation that was not observed by the previous authors. Report of a Case.— A 51-year-old woman had had persistent pain around the region of the second and third metatarsophalangeal joints of her left foot. She was told that this was related to malalignment of her toes caused by a bunion. In May 1982, she had received a single corticosteroid injection presumably into the left second metatarsophalangeal joint with subsequent relief of pain. The suspension used was 40 mg/mL of triamcinolone (Aristocort) acetonide; the total amount injected was 1 mL. During the next month, the patient noted hypopigmentation of the skin around the site of injection without evidence of inflammation or atrophy. The hypopigmentation spread


This paper describes the development of side slip angle-based vehicle stability control (VSC) schemes and the evaluation of the control schemes on a virtual test track. A differential braking control law based on vehicle planar motion has been designed using a three-degree-of-freedom yaw plane vehicle model. The control threshold for the VSC is designed based on the vehicle body side slip angle. Since VSC always works with the driver, the overall vehicle performance will depend not on how well the VSC works but rather on its interaction with the human driver. Vehicle behavior and interactions between the vehicle, the controller, and the human driver are investigated using a vehicle simulator on a virtual test track (VTT). The VTT consists of a real-time vehicle simulator, a visual animation engine, a visual display, and human-vehicle interfaces. The VTT has been developed and used for the evaluation of the VSC under various realistic conditions in the laboratory. In this paper, the effects of the different control threshold on the vehicle-driver-controller interaction for a novice and expert driver are compared. Test results obtained using the VTT establish the need for a variable control threshold. The VTT makes it possible to perform exhaustive design trials and evaluations in the laboratory without risk of injury before field testing and promises to significantly reduce development cost and cycle time.


Containing the complete and annotated texts of six pamphlets written between 1609 and 1620, "Custome Is an Idiot" makes an invaluable contribution to the scholarship on early modern British cultural history, specifically on competing opinions about the role of women in society. During the early seventeenth century, a fierce debate raged in British intellectual society regarding the role of women, how much is ordained by God, and how much is merely custom. The pamphlets that circulated at the time reveal a great deal about the terms of the debate, and these six constitute a significant body of primary literature, allowing the contending voices to be heard anew. Included here are two pamphlets about gossips by Samuel Rowlands, William Heale's treatise against wife-beating, Christopher Newstead's argument for the superiority of women, and Hic Mulier and Haec Vir, two pamphlets that address the theme of cross-dressing. Introductions by Susan Gushee O'Malley place each pamphlet in a wider context, and detailed annotations shed light on the individual texts.


A fifteen-year field trial (started in 1990) was conducted to determine the inorganic P fractions under 8 classical modes of fertilization in the lower reach of Liaohe River Plain. The results showed that Ca2-P, Ca8-P, Al-P and Fe-P decreased in the absence of P application, while increased with supplemental P addition. Interestingly, O-P and Ca10-P, with low bioavailability, increased at different levels under all treatments after 15 years. The contents of inorganic P were low in crop stalk, indicating that P supplying capacity was weak. On the contrary, both fresh pig excretion and decomposed manure were huge inorganic P pools.


The scalability of Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) has eased the integration of large-scale Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) to Medium Voltage (MV) network. In this paper, the integration of a grid-connected large-scale Modular Multilevel Inverter (MMI)-based 1 MW PhotoVoltaic (PV) plant is analysed. The proposed MMI employs Full-Bridge-SubModules (FB-SMs) topology. Unlike the conventional Half-Bridge (HB)-based MMI, FB-SMs enable a boosting operation; avoiding typical configurations where step-up transformers are required. That is, better power density and specific power can be provided. Moreover, the FB circuit inherits DC faultblocking capability. Therefore, a DC-fault protection system is investigated as same as normal operation to foster the system reliability. A sensorless sorting algorithm is adopted to perform the MMI's capacitors voltage balancing, hence the firing of FBSMs. The sensorless approach reduces hardware complexity and cost, especially in case of high number of MMI levels. The proposed system is investigated using MATLAB simulation platform.


Hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase (HS-ST) is thought to be a key enzyme in the synthesis of neurosteroid sulfates, which are known to act as potent regulators of neuronal activity within the brain. In rat liver, three isoforms of HS-ST (ST2A1, ST2A2 and ST2A5) have now been identified and to further elucidate the precise contribution of each of these variants in neurosteroid sulfation in rat brain, we analyzed the expression of their transcripts in different brain regions using isoform-specific RT-PCR. The expression of ST2A1 was found exclusively in the olfactory bulb and ST2A2 expression levels were most abundant in the hippocampus, but no ST2A5 expression was detectable in any brain region. We then measured the HS-ST activity in these same regions and detected low but significant activity levels in the olfactory bulb and hippocampus, but less activity in the cortex. These activity levels were found to correlate with the mRNA levels of the HS-ST isoforms. Our findings will further our understanding of the physiological role of HS-ST enzymes within the brain, particularly how they affect neurosteroid metabolism and modulate neuronal activity.


Diabetes mellitus (DM) silent epidemic which affects many people around the world and is causally related to the oral health status of the patients. Diabetes mellitus is caused due to metabolic disturbances which not only manifestants as systemic condition but also shows various oral manifestations. The aim of our study was to evaluate the knowledge and awareness regarding effects of diabetes mellitus on oral health among diabetic patients visiting dental college. Our study also aimed to assess the oral hygiene maintenance practices among the diabetic patients. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among patients visiting Saveetha Dental College, Chennai between December 2019 to January 2020 with a history of diabetes mellitus. A questionnaire was distributed which consists of questions related to oral manifestations of diabetes mellitus and practice followed on oral health care maintenance among 100 diabetic patients. Data was obtained from the filled questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS software 23.0. The awareness levels of diabetic patients towards oral and systemic complications of diabetes mellitus were relatively less. Only 37% were aware of the oral and systemic complications caused due to diabetes. There was a statistically significant association between education status and awareness level of patients on oral and systemic manifestation caused due to diabetes (p=0.001). Within the limitations of the study, it has been found that the study participants have inadequate knowledge and awareness on oral manifestations of diabetes mellitus. Oral hygiene maintenance practices were poor among diabetic patients and showed poor attitude towards oral care. Health professionals should promote awareness on oral manifestations and complications that arise due to diabetes mellitus among the public to reduce the risk of oral disease.


Introduction. Total joint arthroplasty is considered one of the most beneficial aspects of modern orthopedic surgery. Due to the increase in population, obesity rates, and medical advances, total joint replacements have become more commonplace in the United States. Recently, a unique type of damage has been investigated in cobalt-chrome (CoCr) implants that remains poorly understood and highly controversial. Originally, it was believed that this damage type was caused by inflammatory cells directly attacking the metal surface, leading to damage of the oxide layer. However, damage caused by electrocautery tools has shown identical characteristics, leading some to believe this is the true cause. This study aims to distinguish between these two damage mechanisms and investigate the biological response of inflammatory cells to common orthopaedic metal alloys.Methods. Following institution review board approval, 41 Cobalt-Chromium-Molybdenum (CoCrMo) cadaveric primary total knee arthroplasty specimens were collected. After removal and cleaning, light microscopy was utilized to identify areas of ICIC-like damage scares. CoCrMo, zirconium nitride (ZrN)coated, and Oxinium knee implants were intentionally damaged by electrocautery from both Bovie and Aquamantys sources by a three second hover method. Bovie electrocautery damage was done at 30W, 45W, and 60W. Aquamantys electrocautery damage was done at 140W, 180W, and 220W. Using a scanning electron microscope 20 kV backscatter detection (BSD), and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) (Oxford, High Wycombe, UK) corroded regions were analyzed for both groups and the elemental compositions were reported. White light interferometry was utilized to examine the surface topography of the implants. Average roughness (Ra), max peak-to-valley height (Rmax,), kurtosis (Rk), and skewness (Rsk) measurements were collected to represent the topography on the damaged areas for the CoCr and Zirconium Nitride coated implants. After failing normality testing, Mann Whitney Rank Sum tests were utilized to determine any significant differences.In a separate experiment, IC-21 ATCC peritoneal macrophages were cultured with growth medium of RPMI 1640 with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), L-glutamine, and gentamicin. Interferon Gamma (IFNγ) and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to induce activation of macrophages. Stainless Steel, CoCr, and Titanium (Ti) discs were cut, polished, and placed into a 96 well plate. Stainless steel testing included 6 groups: standard medium, 20,000 cells, 40,000 cells, 20,000 activated cells, 40,000 activated cells. CoCr and Ti testing included the following: medium, 40,000 cells, 20,000 activated cells, cells, no disc + 20,000 cells, no disc + 40,000 cells. After cells were attached to the surface, culture medium was replaced and collected every 24 hours for stainless steel and every 12 hours for Ti and CoCr. Cell viability and number were measured with CellTiter 96® Aqueous One Solution Assay (Promega). The Griess Reagent Assay (ThermoFisher) was used to indirectly measure nitric oxide (NO) production from supernatant. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), conducted at Brooks Applied Labs (Bothell, WA), was utilized to determine metal concentrations found in the supernatant. All statistical analysis was conducted using SigmaPlot (Systat Software, Chicago, IL)Results. Necropsy implants showed signs of ICIC in 7 out of 41 implants (17 %) examined. Iron (Fe), Nickel (N), Carbon (C), and Oxygen (O) content were taken from the data collected to serve as surrogate markers of corrosion. Fe/C ratios of the Bovie electrocautery damaged knee implant were shown to be statistically higher than that of necropsy retrieved implants. Median Ra measurements were shown to be statistically less (p=0.008) for Bovie damaged areas compared to ICIC damaged areas on CoCr. Median Rmax and Ra measurements were shown to be statistically less (p= 0.012, p< 0.001 respectively) for Aquamantys damaged areas compared to ICIC damaged areas on CoCr. Median Rmax, Ra, and Rk, measurements were shown to be statistically higher for Bovie damaged areas compared to non-damaged areas on ZrN coated implants. Rsk measurements were shown to be statistically lower for both Bovie and Aquamantys damaged areas compared to non-damaged areas on ZrN coated implants.Activated IC-21 cells on stainless steel discs produced significantly more NO compared to their control counterparts after 8-10 days and remained elevated for the duration of the experiment. Cell viability and cell coun Document Type Thesis Degree Name Master of Science (MS) Program Biomedical Engineering Research Advisor William M. Mihalko, MD, PhD


Purpose: To investigated whether topical tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-antisense-oligonucleotides (ASON) treatment might affect the course of contralateral HSV-retinitis.
Methods: In vivo uptake was determined after subconjunctival (s.c.) injection of FITC-labeled TNF-α-ASON. BALB/c mice were injected in the AC of the right eyes with HSV-1 (KOS); the left eyes were injected s.c. 3 times with TNF-α-ASON; sequence-unspecific control (C) ON or buffer. The clinical course of HSV-R, ocular inflammatory cell-infiltration, uptake of [3H]thymidine from rLN cells and viral replication in the eyes were analyzed.
Results: In vivo, FITC-TNF-α-ASON was found in the choroid and retina up to 7 days after s.c. injection, but also in the rLN. After s.c. TNF-α-ASON injection, expression of TNF-α was reduced in the ipsilateral eyes and rNL. TNF-α-ASON injection reduced the incidence and severity of early chorioretinitis and of the inflammatory cell infiltration and CD-11b cells in the choroid and retina of the treated eye. On day 10 PI, the virus titers, inflammatory cell infiltration and HSV-R had increased in the TNF-α-ASON treated eyes, while the HSV-1 specific [3H]thymidine uptake from rLN cells was decreased and DTH response did not differ between the PBS, CON and TNF-α-ASON groups.
Conclusions: Topical TNF-α-ASON-injection reduced early ocular inflammatory cell infiltration, but delayed the virus clearance and increased the severity of HSV-retinitis in the treated eyes. The antisense technique is a useful experimental approach for the topical application of TNF-α in experimental HSV-1 retinitis.


Displaced, intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus represent a surgical challenge and the ideal choice of treatment remains a subject of continued debate. Open reduction and stable internal fixation without joint transfixation has been established as the standard treatment for most of these fractures with good to excellent results in more than two thirds of patients in larger clinical series. The extended lateral approach respects the neurovascular supply to the heel and allows a good exposition of the fractured lateral wall, the subtalar and calcaneocuboid joints, but wound healing problems cannot be completely avoided despite meticulous soft tissue handling. Percuatneous and less invasive procedures have successfully lowered the rates of wound complications but exact anatomic reduction remains an important issue. Care must be taken not to overlook atypical fractures like sustentacular fractures and fracture-dislocations of the calcaneus that are treated with a small medial or curved epimalleolar lateral approach, respectively. The use of bone grafting or bone substitutes for defect filling appears not necessary in most cases. Prognostic factors that can be influenced by the surgeon are anatomical reduction of the overall shape of the calcaneus and congruity of the subtalar joint which should both be controlled intraoperatively. Treatment results are adversely affected by severity of injury, open fractures, bilateral fractures, a high body mass index and smoking. Early, stable soft tissue coverage with pedicled or free flaps appears to lower infection rates and improve the functional results after open fractures. Calcaneal malunions and nonunions are disabling conditions resulting from either non-operative treatment or inadequate reduction and fixation of displaced fractures. Deformity correction is tailored to the type of deformity and individual patient needs. Treatment options include lateral wall decompression, in situ- or corrective subtalar arthrodesis and calcaneal osteotomies accompanied by soft tissue-balancing.


The relationship between local convection, vertically propagating Kelvin waves, and tropical tropopause height variability is examined. This study utilizes both simulations of a global primitive-equation model and global observational datasets. Regression analysis with the data shows that convection over the western tropical Pacific is followed by warming in the upper troposphere (UT) and cooling in lower stratosphere (LS) over most longitudes, which results in a lifting of the tropical tropopause. The model results reveal that these UT–LS temperature anomalies are closely associated with vertically propagating Kelvin waves, indi-cating that these Kelvin waves drive tropical tropopause undulations at intraseasonal time scales. The model simulations further show that regardless of the longitudinal position of the imposed heating, the UT–LS Kelvin wave reaches its maximum amplitude over the western Pacific. This result, together with an analysis based on wave action conservation, is used to contend that the Kelvin wave amplification over the western Pacific should be attributed to the zonal variation of background zonal wind field, rather than to the proximity of the heating. The wave action conservation law is also used to offer an explanation as to why the vertically propagating Kelvin waves play the central role in driving tropical tropopause height undulations. Thezonal and vertical modulation of the Kelvin waves by the background flow may help explain the origin of the very cold air over the western tropical Pacific, which is known to cause freeze-drying of tropospheric air en route to the stratosphere.


Recent research on career mobility under communism suggests that party membership and education may have had different effects in administrative and professional careers. Using life history data from a nationally representative 1996 survey of urban Chinese adults, we subject this finding to more stringent tests and find even stronger contrasts between career paths. Only recently has college education improved a high school graduate's odds of becoming an elite administrator, while it has always been a virtual prerequisite for a professional position. On the other hand, party membership, always a prerequisite for top administrative posts, has never improved the odds of becoming an elite professional. We also find that professionals rarely become administrators, and vice versa. Differences between career paths have evolved over the decades, but they remain sharp. Thus, China has a hybrid mobility regime in which the loyalty principles of a political machine are combined with, and segregated from, the meritocratic standards of modern professions. Recent changes may reflect a return to generic state socialist practices rejected in the Mao years rather than the influence of an emerging market economy.


General equations describing the theoretical uncertainty in the measurement of the complex reflectance ratio, ρ, are given for rotating-analyzer ellipsometers operating under shot-noise-limited, detector-noise-limited, and incident power-fluctuation-limited (ideal-detector) conditions. In the latter case, uncertainty is minimized when the light reflected from the sample surface is circularly polarized. For shot-noise- and detector-noise-limited configurations, minimum uncertainty is obtained as a compromise between the conditions that yield circularly polarized reflected light and those that maximize the transmitted flux. As |ρ| → 0, the uncertainty decreases linearly in |ρ| for ideal-detector systems, approaches a constant limiting value for shot-noise-limited systems, and becomes arbitrarily large for detector-noise-limited systems, which suggests that measurements at the pseudo-Brewster angle should be avoided in the latter case. A compensator is essential to achieve high precision on dielectric surfaces, but is generally not needed for metals. The theoretical relative precision to which the complex dielectric function can be obtained for silicon and gold over the visible and near-uv optical range is of the order of 1 × 10−5, which is comparable to that attainable by high-precision reflectance techniques.


A modular approach to design has contributed greatly to the success of the family of machine vision video equipment produced by EG&G Reticon during the past several years. Internal modularity allows high-performance area (matrix) and line scan cameras to be assembled with two or three electronic subassemblies with very low labor costs, and permits camera control and interface circuitry to be realized by assemblages of various modules suiting the needs of specific applications. Product modularity benefits equipment users in several ways. Modular matrix and line scan cameras are available in identical enclosures (Fig. 1), which allows enclosure components to be purchased in volume for economies of scale and allows field replacement or exchange of cameras within a customer-designed system to be easily accomplished. The cameras are optically aligned (boresighted) at final test; modularity permits optical adjustments to be made with the same precise test equipment for all camera varieties. The modular cameras contain two, or sometimes three, hybrid microelectronic packages (Fig. 2). These rugged and reliable "submodules" perform all of the electronic operations internal to the camera except for the job of image acquisition performed by the monolithic image sensor. Heat produced by electrical power dissipation in the electronic modules is conducted through low resistance paths to the camera case by the metal plates, which results in a thermally efficient and environmentally tolerant camera with low manufacturing costs. A modular approach has also been followed in design of the camera control, video processor, and computer interface accessory called the Formatter (Fig. 3). This unit can be attached directly onto either a line scan or matrix modular camera to form a self-contained units, or connected via a cable to retain the advantages inherent to a small, light weight, and rugged image sensing component. Available modules permit the bus-structured Formatter to be configured as required by a specific camera application. Modular line and matrix scan cameras incorporating sensors with fiber optic faceplates (Fig 4) are also available. These units retain the advantages of interchangeability, simple construction, ruggedness, and optical precision offered by the more common lens input units. Fiber optic faceplate cameras are used for a wide variety of applications. A common usage involves mating of the Reticon-supplied camera to a customer-supplied intensifier tube for low light level and/or short exposure time situations.


Minimally invasive approach advantages for colorectal resection has been reported in many studies (1). It is well known today that robotics in colorectal surgery provide a 3-dimensional vision, 4 degrees of intuitive movements and a stable vision disabling hands movements. However, experience is still limited and short and long-term outcomes of colorectal resection remain controversial, especially in the elderly patients (2). Among surgical community, it is believed that in this latter sub group of patient benefits of minimally invasive approach might be lower compared with the rest of the population. However, regarding this issue the literature is scarce.


BackgroundCardiac tamponade after cardiac surgical procedures is often associated with hemodynamically significant localized pericardial effusions. The localized collection of pericardial effusion in the postoperative period and the atypical presentation of cardiac tamponade limit the use of conventional clinical and echocardiographic signs usually seen with a circumferential pericardial effusion. Observation of left ventricular diastolic collapse in the echocardiogram of a patient with postoperative regional cardiac tamponade prompted us to explore the frequency of this sign in regional cardiac tamponade. Methods and ResultsWe retrospectively analyzed the echocardiograms of 18 patients with postoperative cardiac tamponade for the following echocardiographic findings: right atrial collapse, right ventricular diastolic collapse, left atrial collapse, and left ventricular diastolic collapse. Three of the 18 patients had circumferential pericardial effusion, and 15 had loculated pericardial effusion; in 10, the effusion was predominantly posterior, and in the other five, it extended laterally or inferiorly. The conventional echocardiographic signs of cardiac tamponade such as right atrial collapse, right ventricular diastolic collapse, and left atrial collapse were present in only 3, 1, and 3 of these 15 patients, respectively, but all exhibited leftcv ventricular diastolic collapse. Increasing pressure within the compartment of a loculated pericardial effusion reaching the limit of penicardial distensibility and consequent transient reversal of transmural left ventricular pressure during diastole are most likely the basis for diastolic collapse of the thick-walled ventricle in a setting of regional cardiac tamponade. ConclusionsWe conclude that left ventricular diastolic collapse is a frequent sign of regional cardiac tamponade and could be a useful marker of tamponade in postoperative patients. (Circulation 1991;83:1999—2006)


Surgically removed human kidneys were fixed by vascular perfusion to improve the preservation of renal tissue and, in particular, the proximal tubules for electron microscopic analysis. Fifty kidneys with various pathologic changes were perfusion-fixed with glutaraldehyde under pressure control immediately after nephrectomy. A Tyrode solution containing a spasmolytic drug initiated the perfusion. The results demonstrate that large volumes of ultrastructurally well-preserved kidney tissue can be obtained in normal (nontumorous) parts of tumor kidneys as well as in kidneys with chronic nephropathy. Several factors improved the quality of fixation: (1) start of perfusion-fixation within 15 min after clamping of the renal vessels, (2) careful handling of the kidney during nephrectomy, (3) simultaneous clamping of the main renal vessels, and (4) employment of a spasmolytic drug. In comparison with tissue from immersion-fixed renal biopsies, perfusion-fixed kidneys represented an improved basis for ultrastructu...


Prolonged use of implanted medical devices has been linked with device-associated infections. Since enteral tube feeding is increasing worldwide, the present study described the morphology of Candida albicans biofilms on the surface of silicone nasogastric tube (NGT) using fluorescence microscopy. With the emergence of multidrug-resistant fungal infections, the present study assessed the susceptibility profile of the biofilms to antifungal azoles namely fluconazole, miconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole using the standard disc diffusion method. Microscopic studies of C. albicans biofilms revealed a complex heterogeneous structure with yeast cells and hyphal elements entrenched within a polysaccharide matrix. Planktonic C. albicans cells remained susceptible with posaconazole, fluconazole, miconazole, and voriconazole. However, the fungal biofilms exhibited resistance with miconazole. There was a significant reduction in the zone of inhibition on the 24-h, 48-h, and 72-h biofilm formation with posaconazole, voriconazole, and fluconazole, respectively. Kinetic investigation on C. albicans biofilm with posaconazole revealed a zero-order kinetic profile (R2=0.9774) whereas with voriconazole exhibited a first-order kinetic profile (R2=0.9974). These findings can possibly provide information regarding the resistance of fungal biofilms with antifungal azoles. Demonstration of common biofilm features will extend the findings of this study beyond fungi to polymicrobial infections, as new information and insights will influence several disciplines ranging from environmental microbiology to pharmaceutical drug design intended for biofilm-associated infections.


In higher education institutions, digital learning environments, referred to as virtual learning systems in this article, have been adopted and are becoming increasingly popular among academics. A virtual learning system (VLS) has a suite of tools with associated functions and non-functional system characteristics. Higher education institutions (HEIs) implement a VLS with the intent to assimilate e-Learning with face-to-face instruction and thereby derive associated benefits from its usage. Currently there is limited information on educators' perceptions on the usefulness of VLS tool functionality, and the importance assigned to non-functional characteristics. This article adapted the generic framework of the ISO 9126 external software quality model to ascertain the perceptions of educators with regards to VLS functionality and non-functional quality characteristics. A case study research strategy was adopted, using two South African higher education institutions. The main contribution of this article is a proposed model representing VLS quality in use characteristics, measured by the constructs of perceived usefulness and perceived importance. In addition to the theoretical contribution, this article makes a practical contribution by providing educators' recommendations on the improvement of VLS quality characteristics. This article has potentially useful implications for the use of a VLS by educators and future VLS design iterations.


Illusory correlation refers to the perceived (but erroneous) relation between stimuli. In social psychology this phenomenon has been related to stereotype formation. Recent research in this area has shown that the perception of illusory correlation between two groups and their behaviours can be a product of understandable attempts to differentiate between these groups. This is due to participants' interpretations of the experimental task and to features that draw attention to group differences. In the first study we showed that the task instructions presented to participants can induce expectations of differences between the stimulus groups, which helped to produce illusory correlation. We also demonstrated that giving precedence to the behaviours, rather than to the groups, resulted in attenuated illusory correlation effects. In the second study we investigated how aspects of the stimulus distributions affected the perception of illusory correlation. In line with the first study, we showed that increasing the focus on the stimulus groups can enhance illusory correlation, whereas focusing on the behaviours can reduce this affect. The present findings support the self-categorization explanation of illusory corrlation that proposes it to be the product of a meaning ful category differentiation process.


Pregnancy in the context of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) poses unique fetal and maternal challenges. Current literature in this regard mostly involves essential thrombocythemia (ET) and less so polycythemia vera (PV) or myelofibrosis. In ET, live birth rate is estimated at 70% with first trimester fetal loss (˜ 30%) as the major complication. Risk of pregnancy‐associated complications is higher in PV, thus mandating a more aggressive treatment approach. Herein, we appraise the relevant literature, share our own experience and propose management recommendations. Aspirin therapy may offer protection against fetal loss; however the additive benefit of systemic anticoagulation or cytoreductive therapy, in the absence of high risk disease, is unclear. We recommend cytoreductive therapy in the form of interferon alpha in all high risk and select low‐risk ET and PV patients with history of recurrent fetal loss, prominent splenomegaly or suboptimal hematocrit control with phlebotomy. In addition, all women with PV should maintain strict hematocrit control <45% with the aid of phlebotomy. Systemic anticoagulation with low molecular weight heparin is advised in patients with history of venous thrombosis. Further clarification awaits prospective clinical trials that implement risk adapted therapeutic interventions.


Non-financial reporting has risen in significance in recent years as the role of stakeholders who are not shareholders has been recognised in corporate governance frameworks. In the UK the 'strategic reporting' provisions of the Companies Act 2006 give effect to this policy. In Part 1 we examined the strategic reports of the FTSE 100 companies from 2015 and 2016 and focused on compliance by companies with nonfinancial reporting requirements. We found that compliance with those requirements was very high, amounting even to super or over-compliance. This article (Part 2 of the project) assesses the quality of non-financial reporting through a series of interviews. It evaluates whether the current regulatory framework on non-financial reporting in the UK informs stakeholders adequately so as to facilitate effective engagement in corporate decision-making.
Companies Act 2006, section 172, strategic report, stakeholders, non-financial reporting, disclosure, engagement, sustainability, ESG , empirical studies


Here we report an enzymatic fuel cell in a vein replica that generates sustained electricity, enough to power an e-ink display, in an authentic human blood stream. We also detail a simple and safe approach for fuel cell evaluation under homeostatic conditions. Our results demonstrate proof-of-principle operation of a biocompatible and safe biodevice that could be implanted in superficial human veins, which we anticipate to be a starting point for more sophisticated investigations of personal sources of electricity.


An efficient and versatile numerical method for the generation of different realistically shaped biological cells is developed. This framework is used to calculate the dielectric spectra of materials containing specific types of biological cells. For the generation of the numerical models of the cells a flexible parametrization method based on the so-called superformula is applied including the option of obtaining non-axisymmetric shapes such as box-shaped cells and even shapes corresponding to echinocytes. The dielectric spectra of effective media containing various cell morphologies are calculated focusing on the dependence of the spectral features on the cell shape. The numerical method is validated by comparing a model of spherical inclusions at a low volume fraction with the analytical solution obtained by the Maxwell–Garnett mixing formula, resulting in good agreement. Our simulation data for different cell shapes suggest that around 1MHz the effective dielectric properties of different cell shapes at different volume fractions significantly deviate from the spherical case. The most pronounced change exhibits εeff between 0.1 and 1 MHz with a deviation of up to 35% for a box-shaped cell and 15% for an echinocyte compared with the sphere at a volume fraction of 0.4. This hampers the unique interpretation of changes in cellular features measured by dielectric spectroscopy when simplified material models are used.


Tuberculosis is a chronic infection, most often affecting the lungs, which usually manifests after a latency period from primary infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Symptoms are generally nonspecific, with fever, cough, weight loss and malaise. The diagnosis is based on microscopic examination of sputum smear and rapid diagnostic molecular tests, which are increasingly used today. Genotypic tests for establishing the strain involved and phenotypic antibiograms for early detection of drug resistance should guide the initiation of treatment but are still expensive. Treatment of active tuberculosis is done with combination of antimycobacterial drugs, administered for at least 6 months. The antituberculosis treatment has several purposes: to cure the patient, to reduce the risk of recurrence, to prevent the installation of chemo-resistance, to prevent complications and to reduce mortality, as well as to limit the spread of the infection. Drug combinations are used to prevent the development of resistance. The administration is long-lasting in order to achieve the sterilization of foci that are difficult to access by medicines, ensuring healing and relapse prevention. Generally, standard pharmacological protocols are used. In order to increase the adherence to the treatment and its completion, often the anti-tuberculosis treatment is done under direct observation, in what is called directly observed therapy. Undesirable effects of anti-tuberculosis drugs should be detected early and managed appropriately. Recently, many cases of tuberculosis are resistant to the first-line drugs isoniazid and rifampicin (multidrug-resistant tuberculosis), or to these drugs, fluoroquinolones and at least one injectable antimycobacterial drugs (extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis). Especially the treatment of the latter is difficult to do, because there are not currently too many therapeutic options. That is why it is important to detect the resistance early and to establish the appropriate treatment. Treatment of latent tuberculosis usually involves the administration of isoniazid for 9 months. BCG vaccination is an active immunization method used in countries with high incidence of tuberculosis (Romania being the country of the European Union with the highest incidence of tuberculosis), protecting mainly against miliary tuberculosis, a spread form of tuberculosis, severe especially in children.


Quasi-orthogonal space-time block codes (QO-STBCs) achieve full code rate at the expense of loss in diversity gain. We propose two feedback methods for QO-STBCs to achieve full diversity and full code rate. In the first method, signals radiated from various antennas are rotated by phasors according to feedback from the receiver, whereas the second method is based upon antenna weighting/selection. For high to moderate feedback error rates, it is demonstrated that the proposed methods outperform the quantized transmit beamformer. The performance improvement is also investigated for these closed-loop methods when the transmitted signal is error control coded.


Lack of internal space is a problem in UK homes, and is often linked to a lack of space standards for housing in the UK. Although previous studies have examined new-build housing, this paper uses a new method to study 16 000 dwellings in the English Housing Survey (EHS) 2010 to examine existing housing and compare them with a modern space standard in an attempt to quantify the extent and magnitude of the problem. Dwellings in the survey were compared against a slightly modified version of the London Housing Design Guide 2010 internal space standard. It was found that between 21% and 55% of dwellings failed to meet the standard; and that flats and small terraced houses were most commonly below the standard. Dwellings were also frequently found to be under-occupied in comparison with the number of bedrooms. This research hypothesized that this was a result of the lack of space. To illustrate the use of this new analysis method, a recent change to the Housing Benefit system (colloquially known as the 'Bedroom Tax') has been considered. Households receiving Housing Benefit were more likely to be undersized, suggesting that the policy to withdraw housing benefits from these households may be misguided.


This paper focuses on the electrodeposition of nickel from a Ni Watts solution in the presence and absence of a permanent parallel magnetic field (PPMF) to the cathode surface. It was found that the difference between the mass deposition were enhanced in the presence of PPMF and absence of a PPMF (B = 4.4 T) with increase of current density ( m= 0.413 to 4.173 mg cm2 in 6 min). The thickness of deposited layers with PPMF was smaller than without PPMF, therefore higher density of electrodeposited layers can be brought upon by the application of PPMF. The corrosion behavior of samples was tested in the presence and absence of a PPMF (9T). The Polarization resistance was reduced in the presence of the PPMF. The deposited layers were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Atomic force Microscopy (AFM).


Mobile networks are critical for today's social mobility and the Internet. More and more people are subscribing to mobile networks, which has led to substantial demands. The network operators need to find ways of meeting the huge demands. Since mobile network resources, such as spectrum, are expensive, there is a need for efficient management of network resources as well as finding a way to predict future use for network management and planning. Network planning is crucial for network operators to provide services that are both cost effective and have high degree of quality of service (QoS). The aim of this research is to apply data analysis techniques to support network operators to maximize the resource usage for network operators, that is, to prevent both under-provisioning and over-provisioning. Therefore, this paper investigates the prediction accuracy of machine learning techniques - Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Multi-Layer Perceptron with Weight Decay (MLPWD), and Support Vector Machines (SVM) - using a dataset from a commercial trial mobile network. The experimental results show that SVM outperforms MLP and MLPWD in predicting the multidimensionality of the real-life network traffic data, while MLPWD has better accuracy in predicting the unidimensional data. Our experimental results can help network operators predict future demands and facilitate provisioning and placement of mobile network resources for effective resource management.


Proper care of rapidly growing numbers of elderly individuals, particularly the oldest-old, whose numbers are increasing more than any other subgroup, requires an integration of geriatric psychiatry and geriatric medicine on the clinical level. This dictates that educational programs at the medical school and residency level include both medical and psychiatric aspects of aging and that fellowship programs which are based in one discipline provide a meaningful exposure to the other. Nonetheless, it is highly unlikely that a single specialty of geriatrics will be developed which includes both psychiatry and medicine, and much more likely that the individual disciplines will maintain their identity and separate training programs. Specific clinical facilities being developed, such as geriatric assessment units and geriatric hospitals, will increasingly provide a creative environment for interdisciplinary interactions of psychiatrists and internists committed to the proper care of the elderly. It is through the experience of these emerging clinical units and joint clinical research programs that the further integration of the two subspecialties is likely to be forged.


Background The lack of enough medical evidence about COVID-19 regarding optimal prevention, diagnosis, and treatment contributes negatively to the rapid increase in the number of cases globally. A chest computerized tomography (CT) scan has been introduced as the most sensitive diagnostic method. Therefore, this research aimed to examine and evaluate the chest CT  scan as a screening measure of COVID-19 in trauma patients. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in Rajaee Hospital in Shiraz from February to May 2020. All patients underwent unenhanced CT with a 16-slice CT scanner. The CT scans were evaluated in a blinded manner, and the main CT scan features were described and classified into four groups according to RSNA recommendation. Subsequently, the first two Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) categories with the highest probability of COVID-19 pneumonia (i.e., typical and indeterminate) were merged into the "positive CT scan group" and those with radiologic features with the least probability of COVID-19 pneumonia into "negative CT scan group." Results Chest CT scan had a sensitivity of 68%, specificity of 56%, positive predictive value of 34.8%, negative predictive value of 83.7%, and accuracy of 59.3% in detecting COVID-19 among trauma patients. Moreover, for the diagnosis of COVID-19 by CT scan in asymptomatic individuals, a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 66.7%, and negative predictive value of 100% were obtained (p value: 0.05). Conclusion Findings of the study indicated that the CT scan's sensitivity and specificity is less effective in diagnosing trauma patients with COVID-19 compared with nontraumatic people.


The involvement of the yam 'head' or primary nodal complex (PNC) in several traditional practices for yam propagation, cultivation, and storage is outlined. Alternative phylogenetic and ontogenetic manifestations of the PNC, including those of different species which produce germinating seedlings and sprouting stem cuttings, bulbils, tuber pieces, and whole tubers with 'heads'), as well as those in bulbil development are described. Failure to recognize the similarity of this unique organ in its different manifestations may have restricted the scope of research investigations for yam improvement. Previous Investigations on micro-tuber production in tissue culture for distribution of disease-free germplasm, minisett techniques for production of planting setts and mini-ware tubers, and GA3 application for extension of tuber dormancy and storage life are described. It is suggested that development of improved techniques for combination of minisett production and GA3-induced enhancement of tuber storage life could lead to recognition of mini-tubers as a new staple tropical product, comparable and competitive with Solanum tuberosum in production, quality, and international utilization as a table tuber.


Training in occupational therapy was started at the University of Stellenbosch with a 3-year diploma course offered as from 1961-1964. This developed into the presentation of a 4-year degree course, B. Occupational Therapy, in 1965. Clinical training took place at Karl Bremer Hospital until the move in 1974 to the new medical faculty facilities associated with Tygerberg Hospital. Facilities available in this complex have enhanced the possibilities of training in many ways, and have allowed an increased intake in student numbers.


Emergency preparedness is the ability to respond effectively and in a timely fashion to aquatic animal disease emergencies (e.g. disease outbreaks, mass mortalities). It is a key element of a National Strategy on Aquatic Animal Health and an important consideration of the Progressive Management Pathway for improving Aquaculture Biosecurity. The important principles, requirements and elements and components of emergency prepareness and contingency plans are briefly described. The emergency preparedness response system audit is also presented as contingency planning arrangements that can provide useful insights and guidance in improving response action to disease emergencies. The paper concludes that many important lessons and insights learned from dealing with disease epizootics in the early 2000 remains valid after more than two decades when the aquaculture sector continues to be plagued with emerging diseases. Past lessons and more recent experiences demonstrated the value of rapid response, reporting/ notification by competent authorities, continuous development of knowledge base and capacities in diagnostics, epidemiology, risk analysis, advanced financial planning and the important roles of governments and producer sectors in co-managing disease outbreak events as they both remain the critical entities responsible for launching rapid response. Skills and knowledge need to be passed on to locals as they are in the frontline of any disease emergency. Share key lessons from experiences by state and non-state actors (producer and academic sectors and other important players in the value chain), the international players that launch emergency responses, disease investigations and field situation assessments as well as financial entities that support these actions need to be continued. However, we also need to do — a stock taking exercise to evaluate what worked, what did not work, what resources are needed and to understand what are the new drivers for aquatic animal disease emergence in order to move forward with the right and timely response actions to disease emergencies in aquaculture. Key questions remain: Are we prepared for the next outbreak/mortality event? What are the minimum preparedness and advance preparedness actions needed?


Background Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are a serious complications of neurofibromatosis type 1 associated with poor prognosis and deeper lesions can be difficult to diagnose. 18-FDG PET improves the detection of malignancies. However, the criteria for malignancy, notably the SUVmax threshold, are not standardized. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate a semi-quantitative index for the reproducible detection of MPNST with FDG PET. Methods It is a multicenter retrospective study conducted between 2000 to 2012. All patients with NF1 referred for suspected MPNST underwent PET. Since SUVmax was not available until 2004 in our centers, we had to settle for the semi-quantitative method used at that time, the uptake ratio between the tumor and the normal liver (T/L ratio) with 1.5 as the cut-off for malignancy. When dedicated PET with SUVmax became available, the semi-quantitative analysis of PET images remained, along with SUVmax. Results 113 patients with 145 tumors were included. PET assessment revealed 65 suspected lesions with T/L >1.5 and among these, 40 were MPNSTs. 80 tumors were classified as non-suspicious, and 79 were benign. The 1.5 T/L cut-off had a negative predictive value (NPV) of 98,8% and a positive predictive value of 61,5%. The positive likelihood ratio (LR) was 4,059, the negative LR was 0,032 with 97% sensitivity and 76% specificity. Conclusions This study, which is among the largest published, confirms the utility of PET for detecting NF1-associated MPNSTs. A semi-quantitative index, the T/L ratio with a cut-off of 1.5, allowed sensitive and specific differentiation of malignant from benign tumors better than SUVmax. When T/L was <1.5, MPNSTs were ruled out with 98,8% NPV. When T/L was >1.5, there was a strong suspicion of malignancy. This semi-quantitative analytical method is as simple as SUVmax, but is more sensitive, more reproducible and non-user-dependent.


In Western classical music traditions, conventional ways of considering melody have been established. The tones of a melody phrase might be experienced as building up a continuous line moving between dynamical culmination points and relaxation points. In this study, a special visual tool called the Melody phrasing curve (MPhC) has been tested. The MPhC is designed according to some established conventions for performing classical music, and the intention was to explore the contingent benefit of a supplying tool that might be used in order to facilitate the communication of musical ideas in different music educational contexts on a higher level. The present study might be regarded as a search for alternative means of developing musicians' awareness when interpreting and performing classical music. In explicit educational contexts, the MPhC might be used as a tool for clarifying the students' musical intentions, facilitating in this way the professor's role of guiding them and encouraging them to realise their own ideas when expressing themselves musically. The MPhC is drawn by free hand into a specially designed device parallel to the systems of the printed score, visually illustrating the individually perceived dynamical progression of the melody part. Perceived dynamics does not refer to physical amplitudes calculated in decibels but to the subjective way a listener experiences the changing loud or soft sound levels within performed melody phrases. In this initial study, the MPhC has been tested from the perspective of selected professional music listeners teaching different musical subjects at the Academy of Music. In the study's first phase, seven participants, five men and two women, were asked to draw curves illustrating the dynamical progression of the melody part, as experienced by them when listening to excerpts from five stylistically diverging classical piano pieces recorded on tape. The results reveal resemblances as well as discrepancies between the phrasing curves representing the corresponding recordings. There seems to be more resemblances between the shapes of the individual curves in structurally simple homophone music than in music that may be characterised as complex in a structural sense. In this context, no accurate conformity was expected. The potential benefit of a phrasing curve in educational situations might be compared to the usefulness of a hand-drawn map describing approximately where to go. Since the visual appearance of the printed score parallel to the MPhC device might have affected the shape of the drawn phrasing curves, the study's second phase was carried out. The purpose was to test if dynamical characteristics within each one of three differently performed recordings of Schumann's piano composition Von fremden Landern und Menschen might be visualised by means of the MPhC. The results reveal many similarities between the curves representing one and the same version of the composition. In return, the curves drawn by each one of the participants representing the three different versions are clearly diverging in a way that seems to correspond to the specific dynamical characteristics of the respective recordings. In a forthcoming study, the MPhC will be explored in a way including participants performing music themselves, drawing phrasing curves and listening to their own recordings, as well as in-depth-interviews, giving the participants an opportunity to express their personal reactions and to make comments on the shapes of their curves. (Less)


Introduction Since 2000 Digital Mammography (DM) has been commercially available and implemented in many breast cancer screening programs. Although available information suggests that differences, if exist, are low, complete evaluation of DM is needed to perform a more accurate balance of risks and benefits of these programs. Our purpose was to compare tumour characteristics between cancers detected with Screen-Film Mammography (SFM) and DM, and to evaluate changes on positive predictive values (PPVs), for further assessments, for invasive procedures and for different radiological patterns in recalled women. Methods 242 838 screening mammograms (171 191 SFM and 71 647 DM) from 103 613 women aged 45–69, performed in four population-based breast cancer screening programs in Spain, were included. Tumour characteristics of each group were compared, as well as PPVs among recalled women and according radiological patterns. Results In first and successive screenings percentages of DCIS, although not significant, were higher in DM group: 17.6% vs 13.3% (p=0.580) and 19.6% vs 13.5% (p=0.115), respectively. For masses, asymmetries and calcifications PPVs were higher in DM group, being statistically significant in masses (5.3% vs 3.9%; proportion ratio: 1.37 95% CI 1.08 to 1.72). Among cancers detected by calcifications, the percentage of DCIS was higher in DM group, being nearly significant (60.3% vs 46.4%, p=0.060). Conclusion PPVs were higher when DM is used, both for further assessments and for invasive procedures, with similar cancer detection rates and without statistically significant differences on tumour characteristics. Most relevant improvements on PPVs were detected for radiological patterns of masses.


The paper provides a thorough investigation of Direct loss minimization (DLM), which optimizes the posterior to minimize predictive loss, in sparse Gaussian processes. For the conjugate case, we consider DLM for log-loss and DLM for square loss showing a significant performance improvement in both cases. The application of DLM in non-conjugate cases is more complex because the logarithm of expectation in the log-loss DLM objective is often intractable and simple sampling leads to biased estimates of gradients. The paper makes two technical contributions to address this. First, a new method using product sampling is proposed, which gives unbiased estimates of gradients (uPS) for the objective function. Second, a theoretical analysis of biased Monte Carlo estimates (bMC) shows that stochastic gradient descent converges despite the biased gradients. Experiments demonstrate empirical success of DLM. A comparison of the sampling methods shows that, while uPS is potentially more sample-efficient, bMC provides a better tradeoff in terms of convergence time and computational efficiency.